THE TRUNK RAILWAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 272, 26 November 1901, Page 3

THE TRUNK RAILWAY.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER,

[liY TZLECIIUFII. i'llt-S.H ASSOCIATION. J Auckland, last night.

Mr Napier, M.li.K., lias received the following telegram from the Minister for I'ubiic Works, with reference to the reduction in the number of men employed on the North Island Trunk Railway: -- Ernin various causes several men have been dispensed with. The number will be made up as far as the vote of Parliament will permit.”

'The following article appeared in Satinday's Auckland Herald The position respecting this line is still full of mystery. We hear from Ungaruhe, where operations are being carried on on the northern section, that men are being discharged in lan'e numbers. Mr Hall-.ioues, the Minister for Public Works, is interviewed on the subject, ami he denies that men aro being discharged, lie says that the only men to he dealt with arc those who have broken the regulations re the liquor traffic, and he adds something about this being the shearing season, end men being wanted for that work. Ta.king about a rusli for shearers at Ongaruhe, as if it were in some pastoral district of Canterbury, shows tiiat tile Minister tor Public Works can know very little about tiie place. Put Mr Hail .Jones •denial tiiat men had been discharged from tho railway works is quite inconsistent with the positive information that 100 men iiad just been discharged, and tiiat practically all work hud- been suspended south of Ongarnlio except road and bridge work. So sweeping liavo been the discharges tiiat distress lias been caused by married men having been suddenly thrown out of employ. .fudging by the news from Ongaruhe, there seems no chance of the men being snapped up to do shear-

ing. Wo do not see in any event why the Government should trouble themselves about the shearing ; tiiat is not their business. But their business certainly is to push through tiiat work as rapidly its possible. A year ago the Government gave a distinct pledge tiiat the line would bo completed in four years from tiiat time, and we believe the calculation then made was that this could lie carried out if 1090 men were employed, and it the bridges were let by contract. Since then that number of men liavo boon employed on the line up till tlio present, when this sudden and unexpected reduction lias been made. On tho first reception of the news we sinmised that the Government were out of funds, and tiiat idea seems to be ontertained in several quarters, Mr Geo. Fo wids stating that as distinctly his opinion. But ttie loan has now been- placed on the London market, and has been underwritten at 03, which Mr Fowlds considers a magnificent figure considering the position of tho market. In .that case the money is practically in the hands of the Government, because we should iitiuk i£ easy to make arrangements for temporary advances to keep going the most important- of all our public works. If it is a fact that these discharges have boon forced upon the Government because there is no money in file Treasury, although tiie revenue is maintaining itself wonderfully, then ilie outlook is not very comfortable. Tho Premier has several times declared tiiat tiie colony could not £0 on borrowing a million overy year. But it would seem that unless wo do so, our public works must soon come to a stop.